Duality
by Camila Coco
Summary: Pan always lived a normal life. She had a normal job and a normal boyfriend but she loved the simplicity. When she meets Trunks, the most sought after bachelor, she falls down a black hole she can't seem to get out of. Torn between two worlds, she doesn't know whether to follow her head... or her heart.


Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Dragonball series. Unfortunately…

...

Chapter 1: Ordinary

Pan always felt like a normal, ordinary person. Her plan in life was always to do what she was told from a young age she would do; go to school, get a degree, get a job, work until you retire. It's what everyone did right? She had no doubts in her mind that she was just like everyone else in the world.

Pan sat on the plastic chair biting at her cuticle as the guest of honor spoke at her university graduation. Looking down at her finger, she noticed the beginnings of blood starting to pool around her fingernail. _Damn it._ She quickly took the back-end of one of her four Honors sashes around her neck and pressed it into her finger. Eventually, she would break the habit. Finally, the bleeding stopped and she exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding.

The guest speaker, Bulma Briefs, was the President of Capsule Corps. She was telling the story of how her father had died unexpectedly and she had to rise to the position with very little training. Pan was very familiar with Bulma's life story. After all, Bulma was one of her idols. Having received degrees in Physics, Chemistry, and Business Communications, she wanted nothing more than to follow in Bulma's steps and run her own multi-trillion dollar company. She sighed heavily. _Fat chance in that ever happening_.

Finally, the ceremony was over and she could now consider herself a college graduate. As everyone around her jumped up to throw their caps, Pan stayed down and began to contemplate her next steps. Which jobs should she apply for? Where would she live? Pan began to bite her cuticles again ignoring the needle-like pain.

...

3 months later, Pan still couldn't land a job. Of course, she had amazing qualifications but due to her dedication to school, she never got the job experience most companies looked for. Hearing her phone chime, Pan looked down at her phone and noticed a text from her best friend Marron.

 _Marron: Hey girl heeeeeeeeey! How's the search for the perfect job?_

 _Pan: Terrible. No one will take me. I'm running out of money too. Writing these short articles for random newspapers isn't paying nearly enough._

 _Marron: Well, I have some great news! Remember how Fiona got very publicly fired from Rouge after she slept with the editor's wife?_

 _Pan: How could anyone forget. Your boss outed her on national TV._

 _Marron: Ok get this, he's looking to fill that job ASAP. Apparently, Ron is losing his mind without an assistant. I may have dropped your name and he's interested in interviewing you!_

 _Pan: But, an assistant?_

 _Marron: I'm not saying you have to work there for the rest of your life. Just until you get back on your feet. And it's job experience!_

 _Pan: Ugh, fine. When's the interview?_

 _Marron: 20 minutes?_

 _Pan: WHAT?!_

 _Marron: I know! I'm sorry! I'm on my way to grab you. Are you still at LabTech?_

 _Pan: Yeah. But I don't have anything with me. No resume… nothing! I'm not even dressed right!_

 _Marron: Don't worry too much about it. After Fiona, he'll want someone simple._

 _Pan: …thanks…_

 _Marron: I'm around the corner now. If I don't stop texting and driving, I'll die._

Pan looked up from her phone when she heard the screech of tires. Sure enough, Marron was rounding the corner in her bright blue convertible. Marron screeched to a stop right in front of her, smoke from the tires continuing on. Marron pulled down her huge white sunglasses and pointed at the passenger seat.

"What are you waiting for?! Get in! Chop chop!" Marron put the car in park and started to rev the engine. Pan hoped into the passenger seat and buckle her seat belt. She pulled the visor down and began to smooth down the little baby hairs that had popped up in the slightly humid weather.

"Thanks for the ride, Mar." Pan said as she put the only bobby pin she had in her hair in her mouth.

"No problem. But word of advice, you should just leave your hair down. It looks way cuter!" Marron took the booby pin from Pan's mouth, put the car in drive, and peeled out into the road.

5 minutes later, they arrived in front of a gray building. The front windows were mirrored so only the people inside could look in but not the other way around. Above the door, _Rouge_ was written in dramatic red cursive. Pan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It did nothing to calm her nerves.

"Don't be so nervous. He'll love you." Marron patted her on the shoulder and opened the door for her.

Inside was the most lavish waiting area Pan had ever seen. The floor, black, sleek, and spotless, matched the charcoal marble of the counters and tables. The couches and arm chairs were white and spotless with red pillows adorning them professionally. The art around the room showcased extremely attractive models in extravagant clothing and poses. The receptionist looked up with a raised eyebrow, flipping her straight blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Can I help you?" She blinked slowly at Pan while looking her up and down. Pan became painfully aware of her plain white tee, blue jeans, and sneakers. Thankfully, Marron stepped in between the two.

"She's here to see Ron, Wanda. She just needs a visitor's pass and pronto. We're almost late." Marron started tapping her foot on the floor. The consistent tapping caused Wanda to frown.

"Here. Just stop with the tapping." Wanda handed Pan a red card with the word "Visitor" in gold writing. "Just stay out of places you shouldn't be in."

"Thank you." Pan clipped the pass to her shirt and looked at Marron expectantly. "Where to?"

Marron smirked pointing up. "25th floor."

Stepping off the elevator on the 25th floor, Pan took a look around the new waiting room. The color scheme was the same, but the art was different. The art around the room showcased various body parts of the models but in a more artistic black-and-white form. Delicate hands, the curve of a model's back, the neck and chin of another model, it was beautiful to Pan.

Pan turned to look at Marron who was talking with the secretary. "Who took thes…"

"Marron, finally. I thought you were going to be late. You know I hate tardiness. Where's this girl you told me about?" A man in a pin striped suit walked out smoothing back his black hair with gray patches on either side of his temple. Pan stepped up and offered her hand to the man.

"Good morning sir. My name is Pan." The man took her hand a sharply shook it once.

"Ron. Come on in." Ron walked confidently back into his office with Pan right behind him. She barely had time to look over her shoulder at Marron giving her two thumbs up before the door closed.

...

3 years later, 27-year-old Pan carried the final box into her apartment. _Finally, a place to call mine. All mine._ Shutting the door with her foot, she set the box down by door and pulled out her laptop out of it. Sitting down at the dining table, the only furniture she had time to set up, she opened the laptop and started to skim the document in front of her.

 _How am I supposed to make Flabio's new boutique sound appealing to the masses?_ Pan sighed as her fingers began typing her article making Flabio's boutique sound like the next big high-end fashion store. Finishing up the last paragraph, she looked at the door when a knock interrupted her mid-sentence.

Marron stood there in ripped high-waisted mini shorts and a pink floral crop top, her shoulder length blonde hair up in a half top knot. Pan smiled and opened the door wider to let her in. Marron walked in look around, smiling as she handed Pan a vintage bottle of wine.

"You really out did yourself. This place is amazing! So big!" Marron runs over to the glass doors which lead to the balcony. "And this balcony! It literally goes from wall to wall. You can have like, a balcony party out here!" Marron bent over the railing look down letting a long whistle. "I mean, you just had to get an apartment on the top floor, didn't you?"

Pan shrugged stepping out into the balcony. "I liked the view. At night, you can see lights for miles. It's pretty relaxing." She put her elbows on the railing and looked out, scanning the horizon.

Marron looked over to her left and right balconies straining her neck in an attempt to see into their apartments. "I wonder who your neighbors are. Maybe it's a super-hot guy like Trunks Briefs!" Marron sighed resting her chin on her hand daydreaming about the city's most eligible bachelor.

Pan rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Don't start. He probably has some ridiculously huge mansion in the middle of the city so everyone can see how rich he is. Plus, this apartment is too low-key and everyone knows he's never settling down. He loves the thrill of the game too much."

"But, you have to admit, he's so dreamy! I wouldn't mind fooling around with him for a month." Marron smirked at Pan. Pan rolled her eyes at her friend once again shaking her head in disappointment.

Trunks Briefs. THE city's most eligible bachelor. Soon-to-be president of Capsule Corps. Everyone knew who he was. Everyone also knew of his playboy nature. He was normally seen with a new supermodel every month, the "relationship" never lasting more than that nor less than that. It was almost like clockwork. At _Rouge_ , Pan was used to hearing gossip about Trunks. He was their guest photographer once in a while and this created a frenzy in the office and in her co-workers' panties any time he stopped by.

"Honestly, you have to be delusional. Why would anyone want to be with him knowing he will just discard them in a month?" Pan stepped back inside her apartment and sat on one of the chairs while offering her friend the other. Marron put her hand out and shook her head.

"I have to head out. Ron is looking for another assistant. Frida only lasted two days." Marron sighed and grabbed her keys from the table.

"Two days? Goodness, what did she do? Sleep with Ron's boyfriend?" Pan chuckled. Ron was notorious for firing assistants quickly ever since Fiona.

"Her name started with an "F" so it reminded him too much of Fiona." Pan stared at her, her jaw dropping.

"Seriously? Geez Ron. PTSD much?"

Marron giggled. "I'll have to tell him that."

Pan shook her hands in front of her. "Don't do that! I just got promoted to senior print journalist."

Marron walked out the door laughing. "I won't tell him YOU said it. By the way, say hi to Uub for me." Marron gave Pan a quick kiss on her cheek and walked down the hall towards the elevator.

Pan closed the door slowly. When was the last time she had spoken to her boyfriend of almost three years? A week ago? Two weeks? A month? She couldn't remember. What she knew was that he was supposed to call her but never did. She picked her phone up and fast dialed his cell phone. He picked up on the sixth ring.

Uub: Hello? Pan?

Pan: Hey Uub. You never called me.

Uub: I know. I'm so sorry. Law school has been absolute hell. I had to get a tutor to help me out.

Pan help her breath when she heard Uub whisper to someone. She focused on what was being said but couldn't make it out.

Pan: Who are you talking to?

Uub: Oh, my tutor. You kind of caught me in the middle of a study session. She's pretty hard to book so I take advantage of the time I have with her.

Pan: She?

Uub: Yeah but don't worry about it. Tell me, how's that new apartment of yours? It's pretty pricey. Are you sure you could afford it?

Pan swallowed. She had a bad gut feeling all of a sudden but couldn't put her finger on why. She gripped her arm, digging her fingertips into the sides.

Pan: It's nice. I'm making enough to pay for it.

Uub: You should just come back home. Working for that magazine isn't the best of jobs. You can't honestly think you'll work there for the rest of your life, do you?

Pan swallowed the knot that suddenly formed in her throat. He always did that. Put her down in hopes that she would give up and move back in with him. She shook her head and hung up on Uub. Today was supposed to be a happy day and she was not going to let her boyfriend ruin it. The phone began to ring vibrating against the table surface, Uub's face decorating her screen. She turned the phone over and grabbed the wine bottle. Walking into the kitchen, she uncorked the bottle and grabbed a plastic disposable cup filling it to the brim. Grabbing a chair, she walked into the balcony and sat down. She took two gulps of the wine and used her sleeve to wipe the tears silently rolling down her face.

"Hey neighbor, is everything alright?" A smooth male voice came from the left. Pan turned her head sharply and noticed a shirtless man with lavender hair staring back at her with worry in his bluest of eyes.

 _Holy shit. That's Trunk Briefs. Trunks Briefs is my neighbor?!_

 _..._

Please leave a review and let me know what you think!


End file.
